What's Going Through My Mind

So going through THOIN today, looking through some old stuff I wrote(both good and bad). I was actually looking for my X-Factor series(rereading PAD's entire run :)), but I remembered I erased it. Then I stumbled across my Teen Titans series I wrote All*Stars...and well....

Now I want to write X-Factor AND Teen Titans again. With of COTA and a new spin-off(Generation-X majorly rebooted) it's is a lot of writing. The spin off will only be about 13 episodes, while COTA is at 22 right now(a full season). Obviously finding time to write all that is hard, but I ride a bus everyday to the city and now I'm going to be at my own computer, in my own little space at work, so when I'm not working, I might have time to write too!(I'm an optimist :-p).

I have ideas for both new series. The good thing with these stories is they don't have to be as long as COTA! In fact I think one issue I wrote of X-Factor was like 12 pages on word! I'd write them in comic-form and NOT in three act episodes like I do with COTA.

X-Factor will be mystery/detective comic with most of the cast from my original series(Jamie, Jubilee, Rahne, Bishop...) minus all the original characters(no need for them since X-Factor was in All*Stars and I just needed the expanded cast), plus Monet, Guido and either Chase Stein or Prodigy. Their will be a major mystery which covers the first 12 issues and mini mysteries over those 12 issues.

Teen Titans starts out with the usuals(Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, and Wonder Girl) and has Zatara, Ravager, Beast Boy. In my original series(http://thoin.mergingminds.org/fanfic/showfaq.asp?fldAuto=209) I also had an original character Ellie/Tempest, who has elemental powers. Back then I always felt the need to bring in OCs, but I'm much more comfortable just relying on canons  now. Still, I do like the way she interacted with the cast so I'm trying to decide what to do with her. There needs to be an 8th member(it's part of the plot).

Part of me wants to keep Ellie. I did have plans for her and I like the challenge of an OC. You have to make them human beings and not Mary Sues, and make people care for them. Look at Chloe Sullivan. She was favorite Smallville character by far! In fact part of me wants to replace Ellie with Chloe. Another part of me wants to replace Ellie with Batgirl(Barbra Gordon), though I'd think I'd rather have Barbra appear as Oracle(and maybe have Chloe as her sidekick). I admit, I don't know many female teens in the DC universe(Raven and Starfire might or might not appear :-p). I'm not a big fan of Megan or Mia.

So that leads to my questions:

1) Which series would you like to see more? Honestly I plan to write both, but I'd like to know which you'd like to see out first so I can concentrate a bit more on that. I don't like I'd release either until a few issues into a series, so it's really more about which I release first AFTER I've written them. I actually plan to heavily revise the two issues of Teen Titans I have already up and use those for issue #1 and #2.

2) What should I do about the 8th Titan? Should I keep it as the OC Ellie(who I have some pretty cool plans for) or do I make it Chloe?(who I could easily fit into the series), or Batgirl(just use Babs) or is there another DC female I might be blanking on? Donna Troy is obviously a no(have Wonder Girl), neither new Batgirl would work(we have a Cassie in the series, and when you have Rose, you don't need Stephine.) I sort of want a meta-human too(which Ellie was and I could make Chloe.) I could go for a younger Black Canary...So suggestions?

Also on my mind, where are your stories peeps!?! You teases got me all excited for the end of next week and I've got only one!


Edited by XtremeOne1 - 28-Oct-2011 at 6:09am

Thanks for the reply Scotti!

I have plans for the Sentry. I ALWAYS have plans for the Sentry...

In regards to your original point Xtreme, I'd much prefer X-Factor. While I like PAD's current run, there are many things I don't like, and the idea of the team having a focused 12-issue goal sounds great right now. Modern X-Factor just seems to drag to me, plus, I think it'd be interesting seeing someone else write these characters. I think that the only person to really take Guido onto a team since PAD's first run was....was Claremont during X-Treme X-Men and that sucked something fierce.
Plus, while I always like the concept of Teen Titans, it never seems to click with me. I have no idea why, as I can read book after book of X-teens, but Titans just never works for me. >.<

My own fanfiction stuff has been temporarily put aside for the moment. I work retail and we're hitting the holiday season now, so my work load is picking up. Plus, my first hobby is making my own comics, and that's really where my focus lies. I write fanfic on the side of THAT, so it's just really not a priority. I've been poking at the Age After and I've been toying with the idea of picking up my plots from X-M Thunderbolts and doing at least another arc of that in the General Section, but we'll see.

Thanks guys!

@Grief: I loved most of PAD's X-Factor run until it's cast blew up, Layla grew up and they sort of lost it's "thing". Was it X-Factor anyway? Is it still a detective agency? I'm rereading PAD's run mostly because I have to catch up! I want to keep the detective agency idea and I want to keep the core cast relatively small.

I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous about writing Strong Guy. He's a dope, but he isn't stupid. He's aloof but not ditzy. He's jovial but he's not happy-go-lucky. In some ways, I'd say he's the sanest, most normal member of PAD's X-Factor, haha. While I'm reading, I'm paying close attention to him so I can get his voice right.

Oh and a title with written by Kevin and Daniel! I'm both horrified and intrigued!

As for Teen Titans and Raven...she appears in the first issue but isn't a member of the team. The question is; will she ever be and, is she even a good guy?

Can't wait to see everyone's stuff!


Edited by XtremeOne1 - 29-Oct-2011 at 3:58am

@Xtreme - I have missed feelings on X-Factor. Personally, I actually LIKE his larger cast, simply because so many of these characters aren't/weren't doing anything. However, I also think that they aren't really doing anything in X-Factor. I think it would have been interesting if maybe Madrox had kept Strong Guy, Monet, Banshee and Rictor and if maybe Layla had gotten Shatterstar, Darwin, Longshot, and Wolfsbane as a second title? They would have both been written by PAD, and could move into and out of each other, which I think would allow the plots to flow easily as well as allow more focus on cast members.

I dunno. I just think the books lost focus. I felt at the start that it was almost just MADROX with a supporting cast, but the other characters have really been diluting that concept.

I agree on Guido though. Like Molly of Runaways, he has this very specific voice that's so right, but also hard to pinpoint if you don't have a lot of time writing him.

@Marhawkman - I've never heard of Misfit before, but that wiki-info was really intriguing. I'd love to see her in something, I like her go-getter attitude.

Didn't Chloe originate on TV?

Also, I vote either Babs or Miss Martian! (Though, I dislike her on Young Justice, she was awesome in the comics).

Pft, read Secret Six by Gail Simone. Black Alice is a member of the team for quite some time and Secret Six is one of the best comics ever anyways.

Not being a big DC fan (outside of Green Lantern) I'd prefer to see the X-Factor title.  However, I like everything you write, so I'd read both 

I don't know anything about Teen Titans outside of the cartoon, so I can't suggest any female characters outside of Raven or Starfire.  I like the Chloe Sullivan/Watchtower suggestion though.